NFL: 30 running backs who got better after leaving their first team

Originally the No. 17 overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, Tyrone Wheatley was a solid role player for the New York Giants. Splitting his time as the backup running back and lead kick returner, the former Michigan Wolverines star led the Giants in total yards in 1996. He was part of a three-headed rushing attack the following season, along with Charles Way and a very young Tiki Barber.

However, he was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 1999. He was eventually cut by Miami before the Oakland Raiders took a late flyer on him. Wheatley awarded them with his best season yet, going for 936 yards and eight touchdowns.

He followed that up with an even better campaign in 2000, going for over 1,000 yards and a career-high nine rushing touchdowns. That was also the season where he got his only postseason score.

Wheatley became a backup mostly afterward for the final four seasons with the Raiders thanks to Charlie Garner’s emergence in the backfield. He remained productive, getting 16 more total touchdowns to finish his career with 47 (40 of them rushing), along with nearly 5,000 yards accumulated.

After retiring in 2004, Wheatley entered the coaching world as a running backs coach for a decade, including a couple of years back at his alma mater Michigan. Currently, he’s the head coach at Morgan State. With a couple of good seasons, he could easily move up the ranks in college football.

None of this would have been possible if Wheatley hadn’t gotten things together and ended up in the best situation possible for him in Oakland 20 years ago.